Portable dam



(No Model.)

S. P. WILLIAMS.

PORTABLE DAM.

No. 419,093. Patented Jan. 7,1890.

F El F F \X/KLFEESEEI v II I\/EI ILEIT'Z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN P. \VILLIAMS, OF CALLOlVAY, TEXAS.

PORTABLE DAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,093, dated January'7, 1890.

Application filed October 30, 1889i Serial No. 328,678. (No model.)

To all whom it 72mg concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN P. \VILLIAMs, of Galloway, in the county ofUpsh ur and State of TeXas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Portable Dams; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in portable dams; and it consistsin the combination of the timbers which form the dam, the verticaluprights between which the timbers are placed, the braces which supportthe dam in an upright position, the rider placed upon the braces, thewires, and the hooks to which the wires are fastened, as will be morefully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to form a portable dam which is adaptedfor use on small streams in order to prevent overflows from washing theland.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dam which embodies my invention. Fig.2 is an end view of the same.

A represents the timbers or boards out of which the dam is formed andwhich have their ends so shaped to overlap each other, as shown. Theseboards or timbers have their edges to fit snugly together, so as toprevent the passage of water between them. Placed upon each side of theboards are the uprights D, which are in close contact with the sides oredges of the timbers and which hold them in position, one upon the topof the other. The braces C cross each other above the top board, andupon the top of the braces is placed a rider D. These braces support thedam in a vertical position in whatever place it may be put.

Fastened at one end to the W-shaped hooks G are the wires I, which passup over the rider diagonally between the two braces, then down through asecond w shaped hook upon the opposite side, across the outside of thevertical upright, in between the two top boards, then through the firsthook again, around the opposite side of the vertical support upon theother side of the dam, in between the two upright timbers again, and isagain fastened to a hook upon the opposite side of the dam from that atwhich it started. There are two of these W-shaped hooks for each pair ofthe vertical uprights and braces C, and these hooks serve both toprevent the wires from breaking, as it makes its twist in alonger circleand is convenient as a fastening for the wires. The bottom wires L arefasten ed at one end to the single hook N, and the wire is then passedaround the lower end of the braces through a second hook, which isattached to the inner end of the wire which extends over the oppositeside of the dam, under .the lower timber of the dam, and has a secondhook fastened to its inner end. These wires, extending under oppositesides of the dam, form supports for the timbers or boards, and the hooksare used in such a manner as to draw and take up all slack in the wire,and thus keep the parts firmly secured together.

A dam constructed as here shown is light, cheap, can be readily takendown and then put togetherin another place, and isintended to be usedalong streams which overflow their banks, for the purpose of preventingthe watcr from badly washing the land.

3 y 11] cans of the single and double hooks here shown the wires can bequickly and readily fastened in place and then tightened, so as tosecure every part of the dam rigidly in place.

Having thus described my invention, I claim The combination of thetimbers or boards, the vertical uprights between which they are placed,the crossed braces, the rider placed upon the tops of the braces, thewires, and the single and double hooks secured to the wires forfastening the parts together and tightening them in position,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignatu re in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN P. \VILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

Tnos. II. CHANDLER, G. F. DOUPHRATE.

